Meaghan Lynch

by James Forkan

Nursing Major
Transferred from Nassau Community College

Meaghan Lynch hopes to become a registered nurse working in pediatric oncology and hematology after her anticipated graduation in May 2018. She transferred from Nassau Community College (NCC) in Fall 2015.

“As a nurse, you’re not only dedicated and trained in how to provide medical treatment, you’re a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen and someone there to remind the patient that they’re safe, they’re being cared for and that they are going to get better,” she observed. “It’s not just a job, it’s a job that truly makes an impact on someone’s day and sometimes even someone’s life.”

Not so long ago, however, she didn’t plan to follow that career path. Instead, Lynch had intended to pursue an English/theater double major—only changing course after taking a Biology 101 class that proved surprisingly exciting. Lynch, who took that class to fulfill a laboratory science requirement at NCC, recalled she had hated biology in high school but her professor made this class “so much fun, interesting and exciting. That class made me realize I wanted to go into the medical field.” She then zeroed in on nursing “because of the one-on-one relationships nurses get to have with their patients.”

Once decided on a nursing career and to stay on Long Island, she said, “My two top choices were Adelphi and Molloy [College].” She saw Adelphi as a better fit. “Adelphi’s nursing program strongly focuses on learning technical skills—but also on caring for the patient as a whole person, not just as a patient,” she said.

She explained, “I really liked that part of Adelphi’s nursing program was community service, because giving to people and helping others is one of the main reasons I chose nursing.”

“Eventually,” she said, “I’d like to either get my master’s and become a nurse practitioner or possibly even go back to school to become a physician’s assistant.”

Elected in the Fall 2015 Student Government Association (SGA) elections in which she was the only transfer senator candidate, Lynch joked, “Clearly it was a very close, suspenseful race, but I got the position.”

Her main campaign issue was increasing mental health awareness on campus. “Mental health is a huge issue on college campuses across the country, especially with depression and anxiety,” she said.

Studies of college students bear that out. The New York Times last year, for instance, reported that anxiety replaced depression as the most common mental health problem on college campuses—55 percent to 45 percent. The Times cited the 2014 annual report by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State; 100,000 students were surveyed.

“Many students experience symptoms and are unsure of what’s happening to them, are afraid to seek help because of the stigma of mental illness or are unaware of the services their campus offers,” she explained. “I’m hoping to work with our counseling center to create greater awareness.”